West Boylston actor Jim Ford ventures into directing

Editor's note: This is the final segment of a two-part update on the career of West Boylston actor and stuntman James Ford.

BOYLSTON — Jim Ford's career in Hollywood and New York stunt work has been a constant change of scenes and roles. He goes wherever the work is waiting for him, including out-of-country jaunts.

A stint within the past year even found him working as a double for Justin Timberlake in an upcoming action thriller.

In an email, Ford detailed the work in Timberlake's shadow.

“ 'Runner Runner' – This one was probably the most exciting thing I did all year, and one of the cooler things I have ever done,” Ford wrote. “Through a lot of luck, about four months of persistence and a lot of recommendations along the way, I was Justin Timberlake's stunt double for the upcoming action thriller … It was almost three weeks of work in Puerto Rico. Gorgeous, and just an awesome experience.”

But not all camera shoots are about fun in the sun. Not long after he was basking in the Puerto Rican sunshine, Ford found himself in the much-less-pleasing surroundings of Oyster Bay, Long Island.

“I went from sunny, beautiful, picturesque, tropical Puerto Rico to Oyster Bay, Long Island … for one of the more miserable and difficult movie shoots, ever,” he wrote. “The film is called 'Noah,' and it's about Noah and the ark.”

Although Ford can add Russell Crowe to the list of stars he's worked with, the shooting conditions were far from the warmth of Puerto Rico.

“Russell Crowe plays Noah, and everything I did involved wet, cold, rain ... all night,” he wrote. “I can't think of an adjective to describe how cold it was. One-hundred-foot-high rain bars poured rain all over us all night long. We were encouraged to buy wet suits to help endure the cold.

“It helped for a couple hours, but we filmed for 12 to 14 hours,” he wrote. “We would get there an hour or so before sunset and film all through the night until sunrise. Once you did that first take and got wet, you knew you weren't getting warm or dry for a long time.”

But the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) watches out for its own, according to Ford.

“SAG had to come and shut down the set it got so bad,” he wrote.

Jim's mom, Linda Ford of West Boylston, didn't offer a lot of sympathy about the dank conditions.

“I told Jim, 'You know the story – rain for 40 days and 40 nights,' ” she said with a laugh.

But Jim Ford looks forward to watching the finished film in comfort.

“One of those I can't wait to watch on DVD, on my couch, under a pile of warm blankets,” he wrote.

And not all of Ford's parts have him actually speaking lines in movies. That's what his mother is really disappointed about.

“I just love it when he has a speaking part. It's a little disappointing if he doesn't get the chance to speak,” she said. “But my husband and I are proud of him, he's doing so much, and really enjoys his work.”

Another recent bit of film work didn't provide any lines, but Ford did get to work with another top Hollywood star.

“In 'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty,' I got to meet Ben Stiller. I played a taller, skinnier, younger version of him in a dream sequence,” he wrote. “It was weird and (kind of) different, what I did. I didn't really have any lines, it's during a quick day dream he has. Suddenly, he goes from a boring office job to ice climbing in some rocky winter wonderland. He wanted it to look odd and dreamlike, so he asked for a taller version of himself. I really didn't do too much, my screen time will be very quick ... but it was a cool set, all filmed in a studio in New York.”

Ford found Stiller a star to his liking.

“He was real nice, too,” he wrote of Stiller.

Recent times have also found Ford delving into the world of film directing.

“I directed a short film called 'Fight Scene,' ” he wrote. “It has been getting into film festivals around the world,” Ford wrote, noting festivals from Woods Hole to the Bahamas to Budapest have screened the film.

And Jim's father, John Ford, was able to attend a tropical screening of “Fight Scene” with his son.

“My dad and I were able to clear our schedules and fly to the Bahamas for its screening at the Bahamas International Film Festival, at the Atlantis Theatre in Nassau, Bahamas,” Jim Ford wrote.

And stars were in attendance at the film festival, too, according to the young director.

“Dustin Hoffman was there. It was really cool,” he wrote.

Partying was the norm at the festival, he noted.

“They had a Heineken shuttle equipped with flat screen TVs and endless amounts of beer, and it would take you from the hotel to the events and screenings, and anywhere else you wanted to go,” Ford wrote. “My Dad was like, 'whoa.' We even managed to squeeze in a little beach time.”

John Ford has fond memories of his son's movie screening, but noted the weather was not all that cooperative for a trip to the tropics.

“When you think of the Bahamas, you think of sandy, sunny beaches, but for that trip, there were puddles in the puddles,” John Ford said, adding with a laugh: “It was like a monsoon just before we got there.”

Though the weather wasn't as sunny as he may have wished, fatherly pride showed through when John Ford discussed the real reason for the trip, his son's directorial debut.

“Jim said it was prestigious to be there, that there were only a certain number of films chosen internationally to attend. So, in spite of all the rain, it really was a great time,” John Ford said.

In this area, “Fight Scene” can be seen Saturday, April 13, at the Boston International Film Festival, at AMC/Loews Boston Common, 175 Tremont St., Boston.

Ford's film is four minutes long and will be played with several others between 8 and 9:40 that night. The film portrays a man who decides to walk home after his car breaks down in a bad part of town. To audience members from this area, some of the scenes may look familiar. It was filmed in Boylston, Clinton and Worcester.

Between his consistent screen and stunt work, and his debut as a director, John Ford said his son is still “following his dream.”

“He almost doesn't have any fear, and that's what scares his mother and me. But he certainly does have perseverance,” John Ford said.

“James has never taken a job just to pay the bills,” he added. “Most people in his shoes are parking cars or waiting tables while they're waiting for a call to come for an audition. Not James. He says you can't go to auditions if you're doing those other jobs. He's never had a day job and, you know, he still pays his bills.”

For John and Linda Ford, their home in West Boylston is now an empty nest, with Jim and his younger brother, Daniel, out following their own paths.

Linda Ford said she is amazed by the contrast of her two sons. Her younger son, Daniel, is 24 years old and pursuing his doctorate in mathematics at Boston University.

“I like to say I have a brainiac and a maniac,” Linda said, with a laugh. “They're so different, and we so proud of both of them.”

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